Epidemiology

Alcohol use disorder is a common psychiatric disorder with lifetime prevalence estimates of 7% to 12.5% in most Western countries. [4][5][6] Alcohol use disorder is uncommon in countries with large Muslim populations, and is most common in European countries. Men outnumber women by a ratio of more than 2 to 1, although female alcoholism is probably under-reported. In the US, an estimate of the 1-year population prevalence of alcohol use disorders (based on DSM IV-TR criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence) was 8.5%. [7] About 8 million people currently meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder in the US. [7] In primary care settings, the prevalence of alcohol use disorders ranges from 20% to 36%. [8] It is estimated that alcohol causes a significant global disease mortality burden, accounting for 3.2% of global deaths. Studies suggest that alcohol-related problems, as measured by disability-adjusted life years lost, are greatest in resource-poor countries. [4][5][6][7][8]